This is How Leap Year Can Ruin a Developer’s Life

he first leap year was introduced with the Julian calendar over 2000 years ago. It wasn’t until 1582, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted, that special rules were applied to omit three leap years every 400 years to account for a small, yet significant time difference between the solar year and the annual calendar.

February 29th presents a perfect trial for developers. It enforces the idea that programmers must take into account rare yet inevitable events in their application testing.

Time has often tested programmers, and rightfully so. There are 40 different global time zones that are often unrelated to a country’s physical location. There are also many unique ways of implementing daylight savings time that further complicate the situation. So when dealing with time, your best bet is to stick with native classes and proven methods for dealing with the irregularities of the clock.

Creating custom solutions can have disastrous results if not tested properly. On December 31, 2008, thousands of Zunes (Microsoft’s failed response to the iPod) bricked almost simultaneously all due to a small, overlooked flaw in logic that trapped each device in an endless loop. In 2012, Microsoft’s integrated cloud platform, Azure, was down for 12 hours due to a leap year bug.

How is it that this one extra day can cause so much trouble? Well, it’s quite simple actually. Most systems account for a 365 day year. If anything is set on up on an annual basis, it counts down from 365 and then repeats itself. But there are 366 days in a leap year. If this isn’t taken into account, events might occur too early on the backend of an application – or not at all. On the front-end, users might be served inaccurate data or become locked out of a system. This is certainly not the experience any developer wants to be responsible for.

A lesser known, yet harder to manage “leap” event is the leap second. The leap second rectifies the differences between atomic time and solar time caused by irregularities in the Earth’s rotation. Unlike the leap year, the leap second does not occur at regular intervals. This poses a serious challenge to developers as leap seconds are only announced six months prior to their occurrence.

The most famous method of dealing with the leap second is Google’s Smear Technique: they distort time on their servers to account for one extra second by adding milliseconds to each second in a 24 hour time period. This ensures that everything remains relative, and they don’t need to have a record that exists at an irregular 61 second mark.

The trials and tribulations of dealing with time are very real, so be cautious. Anomalies in time will break your code, so sticking with open source packages and the best practices that have been proven to work will save you time – and quite a few headaches.

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Set Top Boxes Become Smarter; DTH Players to Introduce Internet Browsing & Apps

With the launch of Netflix in India, DTH(direct-to-home) companies have become slightly more aware of the needs of us customers. Not only are the plans lethargic, the flexibility is also lacking and the connections are not anything to be written about. Doordarshan also recently joined the bandwagon with it’s own FreeDish which aims to provide 112 free channels this year. However, something is still lacking.

Do you have a smart TV at home? If yes, then you probably needn’t worry much and you’re on the right track.

If you said no, then this could be a game changer for you folks. Videocon D2H and Tata Sky are going to come packed with smarter features like internet browsing and interacting with certain applications on your existing TV.

You will not require a smart TV for the same, the DTH subscriber will automatically convert your existing television into a smart television through the smart set top box.

In a statement about the exciting features to come, Saurabh Dhoot, Videocon D2H Executive Chairman, said, “This launch of gen-next HD smart set top box demonstrates our unrivalled expertise and innovation in creation, delivery and execution of technologically advanced products. This product promises to make your existing TV into a smart TV and ensure connectivity with the world. We are enabling convergence of TV, DTH and internet all in one place.”

It was high-time cable operators provided something on the lines of new content through different means, even internet. Netflix in other nations have nearly killed cable television due to the variety of shows and movies one can watch in one place. However, in a sports-loving country like India, cable operators could have an edge since sports are not currently available on Netflix India.

Tata also seemed to be in support of this move and said that there will be no extra costs for these services. The features will be rolled out in the coming months to all subscribers willing to upgrade their service.

This is a wonderful news for television fans and addicts, since it is expected to make your experience even better. Not able to watch anything good on TV? Switch to YouTube and watch something funny. Tired of watching the same old daily soaps? Open Dailymotion and browse through plethora of trailers.

Think about it, at no additional cost your television could become a smart television with the ability to browse internet and interact through separate applications. We could see a similar move from other giants like Airtel Digital, Reliance Digital TV and Sun Direct to enhance their services and move more towards Digital India

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Now get a Temporary Tech Tattoo to Monitor Your Health

Until now we were only aware of a technology wearable on your wrist which could perform a plethora of functions including paying at retail shops and monitoring your health. Little did we know that the world is evolving at such a rapid pace and little tech companies are revolutionizing the way we live.

Chaotic Moon Studios, a technology startup, has designed a temporary tattoo that does exactly the same thing as that of a health monitor. While it is not as advanced, it definitely gives you basic information about heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure and body temperature. Named ‘Tech Tats’, the tattoo consists of LED lights, a micro-controller, and conductive inks to create a circuit board on the skin.

Check out this video that talks more about Tech Tats



While they look like a tattoo, the main purpose of it is still for the benefit of the user for a short amount of time. Such creations are only stepping stones to bigger inventions by surpassing smaller challenges. The data from the tattoo can be transmitted to a digital device to view body vitals and review them.

What Could be Developed in Near Future?

At the moment, these temporary tattoos are still in testing phase and we might have to wait for some time to actually use one, but there can be plenty of possibilities of usage.

I see some really smart uses in hospitals and nursing homes in India to monitor a patients health within minutes without having to go through the protocol. Patients can enter the hospital, get Tech Tats on their body till the time they wait for their appointment and save a lot of time.

Another area where this can work is NFC payments. A temporary tattoo which can attach NFC chip to it and help pay for the customer at a POS will prove to be very convenient. It could generate random digits to verify the customer’s payment and destroy itself after a point of time. Something like using a One time password, only on a tattoo.

Having a waterproof tattoo will also be helpful during workouts or health regimes to calculate daily intake of calories and calories burnt. This will be a boost for a lot of fitness freaks out there and create an overall healthy environment. The tattoos need to be recyclable so as to be environment friendly, a very important need of today.

There are quite a few other startups that are working towards the same goal of making wearable technology smaller and more temporary. This doesn’t add unnecessary inconvenience to a user and can only be used when needed. While the testing phases have started, the day is not too far when we’ll actually be able to use one more efficiently.

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Cortana for Windows 10 to be Available in India this Month

Microsoft reportedly is all prepped up to release the first ever update to Windows 10, dubbed as the Threshold 2, on November 10. With the update just around the corner, it is anticipated that Cortana will be available to Indian users as well by the end of this month, among the many other improvements. Earlier in July, Microsoft had hinted that Cortana will be coming to 7 countries soon including India.

The most exciting news for Windows 10 users in India is the possibility of using Cortana in English(India) language without having to go through all the workarounds earlier. Considering Cortana was available in select countries before, this comes as a very positive move from Microsoft in India where there are plenty of Windows users. Cortana is one of the best Artificial Intelligence assistant applications right now and it can perform a variety of tasks like sending Emails, responding to your queries, Bing searches, check weather etc.

Earlier scheduled to be released on November 2, the update has been delayed by nearly a week as communicated by a Microsoft Support Engineer. However, recent reports suggest that the fall update could be released on the 10th of this month. Termed as build 10586 for both mobile and desktop, it is expected to bring enhancements to the user interface and experience, Microsoft Edge and Cortana. Microsoft is also expected to launch a new Messaging app based on Skype.

The update will be tried and tested in Microsoft thoroughly before the release so as to give the users a refined end product. With all the bug fixes in pipeline, Microsoft will be making it a recommended update as compared to an optional update which means unless the users turn off automatic updates, the software patches will be downloaded automatically on their Windows systems. This sounds like an aggressive move from Microsoft to make sure the market share of Windows 10 increases all over the world.

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Lenovo Laptops Again Found To Carry Pre-Installed Spywares Which Sends Usage Data To 3rd Party

Lenovo is again in news; and once again, pre-installed, unauthorized spywares have been located in their refurbished laptops.

As per an investigation by Michael Horowitz from Computer World, it was shockingly discovered that some refurbished laptops sold by Lenovo carry a folder called “Lenovo Customer Feedback Program 64”. On closer investigation, it was found that this folder contains suspicious looking files: “Lenovo.TVT.CustomerFeedback.Agent.exe.config, Lenovo.TVT.CustomerFeedback.InnovApps.dll, and Lenovo.TVT.CustomerFeedback.OmnitureSiteCatalyst.dll.”

These files are sending usage activity to Omniture, which is a 3rd party data analytics firm.

These discoveries were made on IBM ThinkPad T420 and T520 refurbished laptops. Michael was able to find these uncalled for files using a Task Manager tool to check CPU usage.

In Lenovo’s Defense: Its Part Of EULA

However, in case one reads the EULA documents for refurbished laptops, Lenovo have clearly stated that they may include some software components, which will send data to Lenovo. The support document on Lenovo’s website says, “Lenovo systems may include software components that communicate with servers on the internet – All ThinkCentre, All ThinkStation, All ThinkPad.”

And some of the files which Lenovo can include are:

Lenovo.TVT.CustomerFeedback.Agent.exe and LenovoExperienceImprovement.exe

But Why 3rd Party Is Receiving The Data?

Even if we disregard the fact that this small clause is buried deep within hundreds of pages of ‘Terms and Conditions’ for using Lenovo refurbished laptops, the main concern is that the end-user is never informed about the working of this back-door information outflow, and that the data is being sent to a 3rd party Analytics firm.

And, the other problem is that the user is not informed how to stop this unauthorized tracking and surveillance of their laptop. Although the EULA document mentions the steps to stop this analytics task, Michael was not able to locate the specific ‘settings’ for the same.

Interestingly, this document was uploaded after the Superfish fiasco which happened earlier this year; and the refurbished laptops investigated were bought last year.

Lenovo’s Earlier Attempts To Track Userdata

This is not the first instance of Lenovo laptops and smartphones being accused to spying on their users. Early this year, Lenovo’s new laptops were found to carry an adware called ‘SuperFish’, which directly influenced browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer, and displayed advertisements and pop-ups to the end-user.

Later, Lenovo admitted their mistake, when their CTO Peter Hortensius said, “I have a bunch of very embarrassed engineers on my staff right now. They missed it.”

Early this month, we had reported that pre-installed spyware apps were found on Lenovo smartphones. However, they later issued a statement wherein the blame was put on third party marketplace and middlemen.

This latest discovery of spyware files on refurbished laptops from Lenovo raises fresh concerns for users’ privacy and data protection.

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Made In India Operating System BOSS May Soon Replace Microsoft Windows At All Govt Offices

When it comes to Make in India mission, then why only manufacturing and services? Indian Government wants to use Make in India operating systems as well.

In a new development, it has been revealed that Indian Govt. may replace Microsoft Windows Operating System across all offices with their own, open source OS called Bharat Operating System Solutions (BOSS). For the last three months, vigorous testing was in progress, and the results are satisfactory. In fact, even Indian Army couldn’t break the code of BOSS.

This week, a high level meeting will be conducted by Union Home Ministry, and a higher, advanced version of BOSS would be unveiled. Announcements regarding replacing Windows OS can be taken during this meeting.

This goes perfectly in line with earlier Govt. order making it mandatory to use only open source software in Govt. offices.

About BOSS

Developed by National Resource Centre for Free/Open Source Software (NRCFOSS) of India at Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Chennai, BOSS is an open source, Linux based OS. First launched in 2007, the current version of BOSS is 5.0., code named ‘Anokha’.

It can support 20 Indian languages, and has been developed keeping in mind various security and operational issues, which are especially relevant for Indian usage. Often described as ‘India’s own PC operating system’, BOSS has been endorsed by the Indian Govt. for adaption and implementation on a large scale.

Linux Foundation has already certified BOSS as per Linux Standard Base standard.

BOSS had been initially developed for desktop PC usage; it is not yet clear whether it will run on mobile devices as well.

But Why BOSS Now?

As per Edward Snowden’s leaked cables, India is one of the most watched, and scrutinized nations of the world; especially by US and China. We have observed how Chinese hackers are able to break into Indian Government’s servers easily, and steal crucial information.

By replacing Windows with BOSS, Indian Govt. can aim for greater protection and more security of its data.

Challenges with BOSS

BOSS was initially launched in 2007, but it saw poor adaption across Govt. offices and departments. In fact, last year when Orissa Primary Education Programme Authority required an OS for 15,000 computers across 3000 schools in the state, they chose Suse Linux OS, as BOSS proved to be ineffective for mass scale implementation.

However, the newest version which would be unveiled later this week, has been infused with new codes, and new functionalities, which seems promising. The newer version has been developed by DRDO, Gujarat Technical University and assistance of several private computer geeks has been taken.

We will keep you updated as more details come in regarding this new Make in India initiative.

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